We caught up with some of our House on the Hill alumni families recently, to see how our not-so-little anymore graduates have been doing! Our students usually leave us around the age of 6 to move to primary school, either Singapore Ministry of Education or International curriculums. This is a big move for the students, who might be overwhelmed emotionally or academically. At House on the Hill, we take pride in guiding each child through their Kindergarten 2 level and preparing them for this transition. But don’t just listen to us, hear from our parents! We caught up with 7 families who graduated between the years of 2018 to 2020 to see how our students coped with the move and how they’re doing now. 4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour They were generous in sharing their experiences with us, and we are pleased to share their stories in this month’s blog post. “She still misses her teachers!” –  Mikaela, Graduated 2018  Mikaela in HotH and all grown up with her little sister (now also in HotH!) “Learning at House on the Hill was fun and memorable. The teachers nurtured each child to their fullest potential and Mikaela’s leadership and good self-help skills were put to use in her primary school. Mikaela was well prepared for primary school with House on the Hill curriculum that instils strong language and mathematical skills for each child. She was able to adapt to primary school learning easily. With confidence and trust, I worked hand in hand with the teachers as they provide feedback to improve on Mikaela’s learning. Transition to primary school was smooth with no fuss all thanks to the teachers at House on the Hill! ” – Naomi, mum of Mikaela, graduated 2018 To read Naomi’s sharing, please click here “After the first day at school, we saw a big smile on his face” – Moran, Graduated 2020 Moran working on the golden beads in HotH and in primary school now “We came to HotH in March 2017 and stayed there for almost 4 years. We witnessed HotH grow from a small family preschool to a three-branch big preschool. At the same time, they accompanied Moran from a little innocent baby to a confident boy, and accompanied us from being new, inexperienced parents to parents with clear goals. When Moran first came to Singapore, he could not speak any English, and could not express himself well. But the teachers were very patient, they taught him not only the English language but also how to take care of himself. To help Moran get used to the new environment, I often joined in the school activities, did different volunteer assignments, made play dates with his classmates etc. Moran grew up in HotH freely and comfortably, which gave him a memorable childhood and a strong base for his whole life.” – Lifeng and Guanyu, parents of Moran, graduated 2020 To read Lifeng and Guanyu’s sharing, please click here “Sometimes he feels that most of the things he has learned it before in HotH.” – Philip, Graduated 2019 Working on Constructive Triangles for Maths skills in HotH, and now more advanced Math work as a young man “We always feel confident that Philip will be able to cope his further study in Primary School because HotH has prepared him so well.” – Agus and Frida, parents of Philip, graduated 2019 To read Agus and Frida’s sharing, please click here “We believe she was more than ready for that next stage” – Maia, Graduated 2019 Maia walking home from the first HotH Mount Sophia Tower House and now with little sister Gia (currently at HotH!) “Maia has exceeded any expectations we had in terms of academic achievement. She is in a school with small class sizes similar to HotH and a setting which allows children to study at their own pace and move forward quickly if they grasp, understand and pass the relevant primary level test.  She has been quick to accept new challenges and is so motivated by seeing her own results, that it drives her even more. We honestly do believe that having had a good foundation for her education from her time at HotH helped her strengthen this belief in herself too.” – Shereen and Raj, parents of Maia, graduated 2019 To read Shereen and Raj’s sharing, please click here “[He] does not feel intimidated by the learning environment at Nanyang Primary School” – Joshua, Graduated 2020 Joshua proudly showing off his lacing on the bow tying frame and now in primary school “Joshua was certainly more than ready for P1 in all aspects. He was independent and confident on his first day of school. He also showed little difficulty handling the academic portion of P1. His P1 teachers at our first PTA presented a picture of a confident boy who cared a lot for friends and was conscientious with his work with a good learning orientation.” – Mark and Jacqueline, parents of Joshua, graduated 2020 To read Mark and Jacqueline’s sharing, please click here “Emma had a lot of fun!” – Emma, Graduated 2019 Learning spelling with sandpaper letters; Emma now in primary school “Our experience was great [at House on the Hill]. We felt that Emma is in good and responsible hands. We felt that everyone’s focus is to educate and nurture while understanding that every child needs are unique. The teachers were really doing their best to help Emma progress and we could see her developing day by day.  HotH approach is holistic from plating and learning to health and nutrition experts. Emma had a lot of fun.” – Gin and Tamir, parents of Emma, graduated 2019 To read Gin and Tamir’s sharing, please click here “The mixed-age class setting also helped Maya to have more chances to interact with kids of different ages” – Maya, Graduated 2020 Focused in

Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Phillip and his life in primary school. Graduate of Year 2019 – Philip Parent’s Names – Agus and Frida  1. What did you like about House on the Hill?   HotH provides opportunities for Philip to learn beyond the curriculum and we feel that HotH have a good environment for learning and great assistance for any obstacles in personal development for Philip.  2. At any point in Philip’s pre-school years did you have any reservation on how he will cope in Primary/Grade school?   We always feel confident that Philip will be able to cope his further study in Primary School because HotH has prepared him so well.  3. Do you think Philip was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum?   Yes. 4. How is Philip coping with Primary 1/Grade 1?   He’s coping very well and sometimes he feels that most of the things he has learned it before in HotH. 5. Your overall experience at House on the Hill.   It is very good experience and we are very satisfied with the results. 6.   What advice do you have for new parents of House on the Hill?   We advise all the new parents to believe in your children and enjoy the process of learning in HotH. This is part of an ongoing series for Life after House on the Hill. Read more about the other graduates here!

Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Moran and his life in primary school. Graduate of Year 2020 – Moran Parents’ Names – Lifeng and Guanyu 1. What did you like about House on the Hill? It is like a big family full of love, including kind teachers, natural environments, healthy food and scientific curriculums. All of these can help children grow up well, both in body and inner world. 2. At any point in Moran’s pre-school years did you have any reservation on how he will cope in Primary/Grade school? We didn’t make too much extra preparations. Only in K2, we followed what the teachers required, and read story books together every day. 2. Do you think Moran was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum? Yes, I think he was well prepared for the primary school. During the HotH, Moran learnt how to take care of himself, including dressing up, preparing water and food, packing school bags etc. All of these helped him face school time alone greatly. At HotH, different aged kids are together, elder ones always help teachers take care of younger ones. During this course, Moran learnt how to be with different people, find his way to get along, which supported his move to a new school quickly. For the curriculum, I think there is no gap. The Montessori teaching method is similar to what he has learnt in the primary school, it built a good math concept and understanding for him. And the phonics teaching also helped Moran a lot. We speak Chinese at home, he learnt English by nature and from the teachers. Before graduation, he could talk with his teachers and friends smoothly. 3. How is Moran coping with Primary 1/Grade 1? He transited to primary 1 more smoothly and quickly than we expected. On the first morning, he showed worry, but after the first day’s school we saw a big smile on his face. Now Moran loved his primary school, teachers and friends very much. 4. Your overall experience at House on the Hill. We came to HotH in March 2017 and stayed here for almost 4 years. We witnessed the HotH from a small family preschool to a three-branch big preschool. At the same time, they accompanied Moran from a little innocent baby to a confident boy, and accompanied us from new parents to firm parents with clear goals. When Moran first came here, he cannot speak any English, and cannot express himself. But the teachers were very patient, they taught him not only the English language but also how to take care of himself. To help Moran get used to the new environment, I often joined in the school activities, did different volunteer activities, made play dates with his classmates etc. Moran grew up here freely and comfortably, which gave him a memorable childhood and a strong base for the rest of his life. 5. What advice do you have for new parents of House on the Hill? Trust the school, trust the teachers, trust your kids, follow the same principles as the school at home and join the school activities more. Then you can grow up together! This is part of an ongoing series for Life after House on the Hill. Read more about the other graduates here!

Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Mikaela and her life in primary school. Graduate of Year 2018 – Mikaela Parents’ Names – Naomi   1. What did you like about House on the Hill?   House on the Hill made an impact on Mikaela’s pre-school years and she still misses her teachers!   2. Do you think Mikaela was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum?   Learning at House on the Hill was fun and memorable. The teachers nurtured each child to their fullest potential and Mikaela’s leadership and good self-help skills were put to use in her primary school. Mikaela was well prepared for primary school with House on the Hill curriculum that instills strong language and mathematical skills for each child. She was able to adapt to primary school learning easily. With confidence and trust, I worked hand in hand with the teachers as they provide feedback to improve on Mikaela’s learning.   3. How is Mikaela coping with Primary 1/Grade 1? Transition to primary school was smooth with no fuss all thanks to the teachers at House on the Hill!   This is part of an ongoing series for Life after House on the Hill. Read more about the other graduates here!  

Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Maya and her life in primary school. Graduate of Year 2020 – Maya Parents’ Names – Liang and Ruchir  1. What did you like about House on the Hill?   We stumbled upon HotH as we were moving to the area. We saw this beautiful house (where school used to be) and met Ms. Marilyn who was very kind to show us the new site which was just a couple of minutes’ walk away. We found the place beautiful and cozy. As we read more about the philosophy and teaching method of the school, we decided to put Maya there. It has been a great couple of years there. We were not really familiar with the Montessori method initially but later on found it truly nurturing. The school also organised seminars multiple times for parents to gain deeper understanding of the philosophy. Kids learn to be curious, caring and independent.  2. At any point in Maya’s pre-school years did you have any reservation on how she will cope in Primary/Grade school?  We had some concerns in the last year of her pre-school especially as she might be the only few children in her class going to local school. The local school system is known to be more academic focused and competitive which we worried would be stressful for Maya. Teachers Lina, Shao laoshi, Gim Peng were really helpful in making extra efforts to make sure the transition to P1 would be smooth for Maya.  3. Do you think Maya was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum?  With the help from the teachers, we weren’t too worried about curriculum. Confidence and social interaction was a bigger concern overall given she is a December baby and will be the youngest in P1 class. It didn’t help that the last year of Maya’s pre-school we had to go through a few months of home based learning (HBL) and as a result lack of social interactions due to the pandemic. But the teachers really made efforts to make the classes and activities engaging and interactive. Upon returning to the school, it didn’t take long for Maya to re-adjust to the school environment and social interactions. The mixed age class setting also helped Maya to have more chances to interact with kids of different age – it wasn’t all smooth sailing but helped build confidence, self-care and caring for others. Especially during her last year in pre-school she was seen as the big sister in the class and it really injected a sense of responsibility in her. The graduation ceremony was impressive given how well prepared and nicely done it was even during a pandemic!  4. How is Maya coping with Primary 1/Grade 1? Maya loves her new school. There was a bit of adjustment at the beginning but soon she grew really fond of school and excited to go to school (most of the days anyway 🙂 ). She interacts well with her teachers and classmates, loves the pizza from the school (the best pizza in the whole wide world according to her) and so proud of being the leader of her group. I would say other than school starts too early rest are all good!  5. Your overall experience at House on the Hill. I found pre-schools in Singapore are either too ‘local’ or too ‘international’. HotH to us is a good balance of both sides – discipline and free spirit, academic and learn through play, which is exactly what we needed.  6. What advice do you have for new parents of House on the Hill? Buy uniform size at least 1 size bigger – kids grow really fast! And budget at least 20min extra waiting time at lunch time pick up as kids go nuts playing together at the gate area once released from school! This is part of an ongoing series for Life after House on the Hill. Read more about the other graduates here!

Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Joshua and his life in primary school. Graduate of Year 2020 – Joshua Parents’ Names – Mark and Jacqueline  1. What did you like about House on the Hill?   I actually like many things about House on the Hill. The building was spacious and well ventilated with many opportunities for spontaneous play and learning to occur. The diversity of the students attending also allowed Joshua to meet people from many cultures some of whom are his best friends today. The food was freshly prepared and always balanced nutritionally with very little processed food.   Most importantly, awesome teachers! I think Joshua has had some really good teachers like Ms Kelly, Ms Idah, Ms Asy and Ms Nash/ Ms Rachel and last but not least Ms Gim Peng. These teachers all contributed to his development  from 18 month old toddler into a self assured resilient young man. Good to see most of them are with school after so many years.  2. At any point in Joshua’s pre-school years did you have any reservation on how he will cope in Primary/Grade school?  We personally had some reservations on how he would cope in primary school especially on Math and Chinese. This I think was a constant worry to us but we were reassured by the team. I think the important thing is that Montessori is not about instant achievement but also a process with the best results achieved by staying to the end of K2.  3. Do you think Joshua was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum?  Joshua was certainly more than ready for P1 in all aspects. He was independent and confident on his first day of school. He also showed little difficulty handling the academic portion of P1. His P1 teachers at our first PTA presented a picture of a confident boy who cared a lot for friends and was conscientious with his work with a good learning orientation.  4. How is Joshua coping with Primary 1/Grade 1? Refer to above. We feel that Joshua is coping fine with Primary 1. He has made friends easily and generally does not feel intimidated by the learning environment at Nanyang Primary School.      5. Your overall experience at House on the Hill.  Our overall experience in House on the Hill is a very positive. I think the teachers place the children first and care greatly for the kids *winks at Ms Nash*. We have enjoyed the experience so much that we have no qualms putting our younger boy Joel there as well. It’s a pity that the pandemic has been massively disruptive to the House on the Hill programme but I think the school has been making up with some great events recently.  6. What advice do you have for new parents of House on the Hill?  My advice for potential parents would be to trust the team and the teachers. Also do not hesitate to talk to the teachers if you have any concerns be it academically or other matters. The team goes through great lengths to accommodate request and usually have a good reason if a request cannot be accommodated. Most importantly, House on the Hill is a journey with the best results achieved if your child experiences the full Montessori curriculum.  This is part of an ongoing series for Life after House on the Hill. Read more about the other graduates here!

Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Emma and her life in primary school. Graduate of Year 2019 – Emma Parents’ Names – Gin and Tamir  1. What did you like about House on the Hill?   When we came in to see House on the Hill for the first time it was very apparent to us that in this place the children are at the centre of doing.   My strongest impression going into one of the classrooms was a big and open space with many kids in it quietly and independently learning, playing, drawing, and exploring.   2. At any point in Emma’s pre-school years did you have any reservation on how she will cope in Primary/Grade school? Emma grew up in Israel until the age of 5. The Israeli pre-school programs are quite different than in Singapore. A lot of attention is given to the child’s social skills and creativity. there’s a lot of playing, dancing singing, and crafting but it’s not so “academic”. We wanted to find a place that in a way continues what she was already used to but will give her skills to overcome the big change laying ahead.   I had lots of reservations about how Emma will cope in primary school, but I was very confident that House on the Hill and the Montessori approach is the right way to prepare her for that change  3. Do you think Emma was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum?  Our family moved to Singapore a year before Emma started P1, and she had quite a big gap in her linguistic skills in English and Chinese as her first language was actually Hebrew. We felt that the Montessori approach will help her to gain the tools for learning and catching up quickly.   I believe that the year in House on the Hill (excluding 2 months of Circuit Breaker) have made her catch up with her foundations and her approach towards studies.   4. How is Emma coping with Primary 1/Grade 1? Emma is catching up fast. She’s enjoying school and had settled in very fast. We feel that her ability to face the new challenges with the confidence she can overcome them, made it much easy for her. So even though she’s still missing a lot of knowledge she’s able to make sense of things and quickly learn   5. Your overall experience at House on the Hill. Our experience was great. We felt that Emma is in good and responsible hands. We felt that everyone’s focus is to educate and nurture while understanding that every child needs are unique.   The teachers were really doing their best to help Emma progress and we could see her developing day by day. HotH’s approach is holistic from playing and learning to health and nutrition experts. Emma had a lot of fun.   6. What advice do you have for new parents of House on the Hill?  We felt that every kid is different and to allow he/her to learn the way to learn is more important than mastery of subjects at this age.  This is part of an ongoing series for Life after House on the Hill. Read more about the other graduates here!

What is your favourite memory at House on the Hill?  “Playing big lego with my friends at school.” Lucas, Graduate 2021 Graduation is a very special time for us at House on the Hill. It feels like it was just yesterday when we welcomed them, unsure of step and of a scary new world. We are always so happy to see how confident, bright and excited our fearless young people are when they leave us, ready to take on new schools and to tackle new challenges!   What will you miss the most from your time at House on the Hill? “My friends and teachers” Uta, Graduate 2021 It is a bittersweet time. Our teachers feel joy and satisfaction to see how much our young charges have grown and developed through the years. How far they have come! Many of our charges started as young as 18 months, and so we have journeyed with them for almost 5 years. Their accomplishments are many and they have gained life skills that will serve them well as they grow up. However, we will miss all of them as well!   What was the best part of your experience at House on the Hill?  “It was a joy to see him making so many friends at HoTH” Faith, mother of Axl, Graduate 2021 We hold graduation ceremonies to mark the milestone of our students moving on to their next level of education. It is a chance for the children to acknowledge this moment in their lifetime, and hopefully will be a happy memory that they keep in their hearts as they grow up. It also aids in the transition to primary school.   What will you miss the most from your time at House on the Hill? “The feeling of a family” Giles & Mandari, parents of Louis, Graduate 2021 Graduation ceremonies at House on the Hill are unfortunately hybrid at the moment as a result of COVID-19 measures, and our parents must join us digitally. This is regrettable as our HotH parents have become trusted friends through the years and we are bidding farewell not only to their children, but to them as well. We are grateful that they have put their trust in us and for supporting the work that we do so faithfully. We hope that our HotH families look back at their time together with us fondly in the years to come.   What was the best part of your experience at House on the Hill?  “The teachers and staff members were always in good spirits, even during the trying times of Covid. We also really liked how classes weren’t divided by age, and we noticed Uta develop into a very kind and caring girl, especially now that she has a little baby sister” Fumi, mother of Uta, Graduate 2021  Dearest graduates, you have worked so hard during your time here. We know that you are ready for the transition to primary school. Montessori teaches independence, kindness, self-discipline, internal motivation, curiosity, cooperation, and many other skills that will help you to smoothly transition and thrive in their new school. Your time in a mixed-age classroom, first learning from the older children and then becoming a guide for the younger ones in class, has equipped you with leadership skills. We are confident that you have the academic skills in Mathematics, Linguistics, Science and Mandarin to tackle anything that is thrown at you! What was your favourite memory of House on the Hill?  “The last day. It was really emotional for all of us but the whole experience of the past 5 years was so wonderful we couldn’t have imagined a better pre-school experience for him. Sometimes the best things need to come to an end and what we have are moments and memories that we treasure.” Oliver, father of Kai, Graduate 2021 We send our students off from our nest poised, self-assured and ready to take on the world! We are so excited to see what great things you are all going to achieve!  We hope that you  grow in self-confidence, continue to be more independent, and become responsible members of a community.   Best of luck, and take care! We will miss you all!